Mr Calcu | Forecast your cash flow with confidence and plan smarter business decisions in minutes.

Predict and optimize your business's future cash flow with precision. Discover clarity and take control of financial planning with this intuitive tool.

Free Cash Flow Forecast Calculator

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Free Cash Flow Forecast Guidelines

You're just a few numbers away from unlocking valuable cash flow insights.

  • Be Realistic: Start with growth rates grounded in past data or market trends.
  • Adjust for Non-Cash Items: Add back depreciation/amortization if using EBIT.
  • CapEx Should Be Comprehensive: Include both maintenance and expansion spending.
  • Model Tax Impact: Use realistic tax rates to reflect regional or structural differences.
  • Stress Test: Build best-, base-, and worst-case scenarios.
  • Account for Early-Stage Losses: Forecast negative FCF in early years if applicable.
  • Reconcile With Actuals: Compare forecasts to past FCF to ensure consistency.

Free Cash Flow Forecast Description

What Is Free Cash Flow?

Free Cash Flow (FCF) is the cash a business generates after covering its operating expenses and capital expenditures (CapEx). It’s a key indicator of financial flexibility and value creation potential.

Why It Matters

  • Measures available cash for dividends, debt repayment, or reinvestment
  • Helps evaluate operational efficiency and capital discipline
  • Supports investor and lender confidence

Basic FCF Formula

Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow - Capital Expenditures

Forecasting With EBIT

If you’re forecasting from EBIT instead of net income:

FCF = (EBIT × (1 - Tax Rate)) + Depreciation & Amortization - Capital Expenditures

When to Use This Calculator

  • Business planning and budgeting cycles
  • Valuation and investment analysis
  • Loan applications and due diligence

Advanced Use Cases

Scenario Modeling

Model optimistic, base, and pessimistic growth paths.

Terminal Value & DCF

Use long-term FCF projections to estimate terminal value in discounted cash flow analysis.

Startup Burn Rate

Estimate how long cash reserves last under various revenue ramp-ups and expense plans.

Impact of Leverage

Understand how debt and interest payments constrain free cash availability.

Start forecasting now to uncover opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and drive smarter growth decisions.

Example Calculation

YearRevenueEBITDepreciationCapExTax RateFree Cash Flow
2023$500,000$75,000$10,000$15,00025%$51,250
2024$550,000$82,500$10,000$20,00025%$52,875
Edge: CapEx = $0$300,000$50,000$5,000$020%$45,000
Edge: Tax Loss Carryforward$400,000$70,000$7,000$10,0005%$63,500
Edge: Revenue Spike$1,000,000$120,000$15,000$50,00030%$99,000
Edge: Lease Expense Modeled$600,000$90,000$10,000$25,00025%$52,500
Edge: Asset Write-Down$450,000$40,000$20,000$10,00025%$50,000

Frequently Asked Questions

Free cash flow is the cash a company generates after its operating expenses and capital expenditures.

Forecasting FCF helps businesses make informed decisions about investments and strategic planning.

You'll need to input revenue, operating expenses, capital expenditures, and tax rates.

Depreciation is a non-cash expense added back to EBIT when calculating FCF, increasing the cash available.

Yes. A negative FCF can result from high capital expenditures or low operating income, especially in early-stage or capital-intensive businesses.

This may indicate rising expenses, inefficient reinvestment, or higher CapEx that offsets operating gains.

No. Net income includes non-cash items and financing costs, whereas FCF focuses on actual cash generated from core operations.

Higher taxes reduce FCF because they lower the after-tax operating income. Forecasting with varying tax rates improves realism.

To calculate startup FCF, estimate projected revenue, subtract operating expenses and capital expenditures, and factor in non-cash items like depreciation. Early-stage businesses often show negative FCF initially due to growth investment.

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